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Chapter 17 Hands-On Experiment #1: Playdough Circuit

Time: 30 Minutes

Click Here for the Video for Reference

Materials:

  • 2 copper wires
  • LED lights
  • 9V Battery
  • Playdough

Experiment

Assemble circuit:

  1. Connect the battery to one wire.
  2. Put a piece of playdough on the other end of the copper wire.
  3. Connect the other copper wire around the other terminal.
  4. Put another piece of playdough at the end of the second copper wire. 
  5. Create any playdough shapes you want, but make sure there is a gap between the pieces.

Complete the circuit with LED lights:

6. Use an LED light to connect your two pieces of playdough.

The electricity must flow through the LED light to complete the circuit. Circuits allow electricity to flow around and around through conductors. If a circuit s broken, your light will turn off.

7. Playdough resists the flow of electricity so you may have to push your LED light further into the playdough, so the right amount of electricity passes into your light. (You may also have to pull the LED wires further out of  the playdough if it only lights dimly.) 

  • You can control the amount of electricity going into the light by moving the LED around in the playdough. 

Is your circuit not lighting?

Electricity is lazy! Be sure to force electricity through your lightbulb by putting a gap between the playdough pieces.
  • Check the connection between the battery and wires.
  • Make sure the playdough pieces are not touching.
  • Maybe your LED light burned out, try another one.
  • Dead battery? Make sure to replace worn out batteries.

Keep exploring!

  • How many lights can you connect? Can you use 3 playdough pieces? How about 4? What playdough shapes do you like? Make the best circuits ever!

If you want to share your work, you can upload a picture, video, or PDF file below!

Upload your picture here.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4-9U2wkwD4